A reminder of the European Masters Athletics Championships in Madeira 2025. Steve Smythe was present in Madeira, both as a competitor and as chronicler. Here is the second of his reports from the Championships, a chance to look back at some highlights. These words have also been published in Athletics Weekly. BMAF is grateful for the chance to repeat them here
British Hurdlers Strike Gold
On the second day of competition in the European Masters Championships on Friday, British hurdlers were in great form winning four golds in the first track finals at the magnificent Estádio do Centro Desportivo da Madeira.
They also won golds at 10,000m, the walks and the throws as Britain (11 golds, 12 silvers and 6 bronzes moved up to second in the medal table to Germany (15, 18, 12)
First to strike gold in the hurdles was M40 world runner-up Michael Louise whose 15.42/0.0 led home team-mate Stefan Wilcockson (15.77).
In the very next race M45 world champion Mensah Elliott narrowly won in 14.97/0.4 from France’s Mamadou Seck’s 15.08.
World champion, indoors and out, Joe Appiah had a clearer win in the 100m hurdles in 13.96/1.3 from Germany’s Markus Paquee’s 14.27.
Britain also gained a one-two in the women’s 75m hurdles with little between Sally Hine (17.49/0.7) and Emily McMahon (17.53).
Neil Tunstall won M60 bronze in the hurdles in 15.70/1.1 with two other Brits Des Wilkinson (16.47) and Glen Reddington (16.48) in the top six.
Netherlands’ Wan Bakx won in 14.91.
Other hurdlers to place highly included Jodie Albrow (fourth in 12.30) and Lucinda Cash-Gibson (12.44) in the top five in the W40 80m hurdles won by Sweden’s Jonna Tilgner (11.89).
Paula Williams (13.42/1.1) was fifth in the W50 80m hurdles.
Jane Horder, the defending champion in the W65 80m hurdles, failed to finish after hitting the first hurdle hard and she sadly fractured her radius.
The first track race of the day was the W35-W50 10,000m at the smaller Camara de Lobos track.
US-based Ellie Stevens, fresh off her multi wins in the World Indoors, impressively won the overall race by well over a minute in 35:23.49 and took W40 gold by almost five minutes.
The W55 and W60 combined 10,000m took place over a hour later by which time all shade had disappeared with the race starting late due to a photo finish problem in the previous race.
Clare Elms, who ran an European W60 record last month, built up a 35 second lead with just six laps to go but suffering from heat exhaustion was caught on the penultimate lap and had to settle for silver in 42:09.88 behind Austria’s Sabine Hofer (41:29.76).
Britain’s most successful masters thrower Evaun Williams won her second gold in two days as she won the W85 weight with a 9.79m throw though she was the only competitor in her age group.
Andrea Jenkins, who won golds at the World Masters Indoors this year and last year’s world masters outdoors and the previous Europeans again struck W50 gold courtesy of a 18.59m throw which gave her a near two metre advantage.
Janet Smith was a clear second in the W60 weight with a 16.44m throw only beaten by Germany’s Margret Klein-Raber’s 17.37m.
Gareth Cook snatched bronze in the M55 hammer with a final round 51.36m with Darren Kerr fifth (48.85m) as Hungary’s Zoltan Fabian (63.50m) won gold.
Glen Kerr was third in the M50 hammer with a 56.76m throw as gold went to Poland’s Mariusz Walczak’s 63.02m.
Graham Holder was fifth (54.65m).
The final throws medal wasn’t decided until 11.30pm over at the RG3 grounds in Funchal with Suzanna Wise a very close second with a 14.59m throw to Germany’s Anja Schuppel’s 14.68m.
Britain gained a one-two in the M75 5000m walk with Peter Boszko (31:09.28) heading Olympian Ian Richards (31:40.76).
Diane Brian won W70 silver in the 5000m walk with 31:27.44 behind France’s Janine Vignat (30:11.38).
Susan Payne matched that in the W65 walk and her 31:10.01 was close behind Poland’s Janine Luniewska (30:51.74).
Steve Allen was fourth in the M65 walk with 30:27.33.
Roy Chambers was fourth in the M35 decathlon with 5052 points while Ahmen Bilet was sixth M40 (4531) and Grant Stirling fifth M50 (5939).
John Wright looked like he could be ready to challenge the M65 400m world record in tomorrow’s final as he eased to a semi win in 57.58 with world indoor champion Richard White next quickest with 60.27 as team-mates Stuart Lynn and Tennyson James also made the final.
Craig Carr (52.60) and Gavin Stephens (52.76) had the quickest times from the M45 semis and Lewis Robson (49.92) was quickest of the M35s.
Steve Peters (65.74) was second fastest overall in the M70 400m semis to Ireland’s middle-distance specialist
